


Running's the Worst, Sam

by Samshine_and_Lollipops



Series: Art School [6]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Artist Sam Winchester, Background Dean/Cas, Domestic Gabriel/Sam Winchester, Established Gabriel/Sam Winchester, Fluff, Humor, Implied Sexual Content, Insecure Gabriel (Supernatural), Language, Life model Gabriel, M/M, Mild Angst, Mild Sexual Content, Profanity, Ridiculous Gabriel (Supernatural), Student Sam Winchester, dieting, unhealthy eating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-17
Updated: 2020-01-17
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:08:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22291603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Samshine_and_Lollipops/pseuds/Samshine_and_Lollipops
Summary: After an indulgent Christmas and spectacular New Year, Gabriel is finding it rather difficult to do up the top button on those jeans. Which would be a bit of an inconvenience for some... but Gabriel just so happens to be paid to get naked on a regular basis. Not like that! Mind out of the gutter! Yeesh. Gabriel is a life model and Zachariah's drawings of him are already hideously unflattering. Desperate times call for desperate measures. A.k.a. the Sam Winchester salad based crash diet. This is going to hurt. A lot.*Can be read as a standalone*. Although this is part of a series I think it can easily be read as a standalone.
Relationships: Gabriel/Sam Winchester
Series: Art School [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1491455
Comments: 9
Kudos: 33





	Running's the Worst, Sam

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Alanna342](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alanna342/gifts).



> *Trigger warning*: binge eating. The character involved does not suffer from an eating disorder, but I thought I'd put this in here in case. See end notes for more details.
> 
> This little gift ficlet takes place after "Thanks for all the Memories" and the "Photographs" drabble in "Arty Advent Drabbles". And it's all a bit silly really.
> 
> (Title inspired by a meme. I can't remember the author, apologies. Hit me up in the comments if this was you and you would like me to give you a well deserved shout out. EDIT: Thanks so much to @Chelecheese who provided me with the original Parks and Rec quote the meme was based off. I knew there was something familiar about it :). Anyways I can totally see Gabriel misquoting it in his exhausted state.)

“…Fuck shit… crap… stupid goddamn fucking… Oh that’s great… that’s just cocking great… Fuuuuuck...”

Sam’s eyebrows raise almost to his hairline. He clears his throat and looks over at Cas, perched at the kitchen counter, reading what appears to be an ancient text. They share a look. Cas sighs, shakes his head and turns his attention back to the text before him.

“…Oh for the love of… fucking christing… No… no no no…”

Sam rubs a hand over his face and closes over his laptop. Looks like he’s going to have to abandon the search for now. He wasn’t exactly getting anywhere anyway. Stretching out the kinks in his back, he pads around the corner, heading to the open doorway, the string of profanity getting ever louder and more creative the nearer he draws. 

He pauses, purses his lips, arms folding across his chest. Oh Gabe. He doesn’t know exactly what to do with the tableau in front of him, his sweaty and red faced boyfriend writhing around on his bed… But not in exactly the manner that would be a turn on. He isn’t attempting to wrestle his way into some weird and overly complex fetish gear this time… He’s merely trying to button a pair of jeans… Post Christmas… After consuming enough sugar to make most dentists fall down weeping.

Sam caught him a scant few days ago, on the morning of New Year’s Eve, having just devoured almost an entire box of chocolates that Sam had bought as a thank you gift for Ellen. And despite struggling to fit into another pair of jeans later that same day, Gabriel hasn’t exactly slowed down. They’ve been celebrating, it’s been understandable… But…

“…you fucktangular piece of good for nothin assclown jumped up f- Sam!”

Sam’s eyebrows raise as Gabriel finally takes note of his presence. He huffs out a breath and stops squirming, pushing sweat damp hair from his brow before levering himself up on his elbows. He looks a little uncharacteristically flustered for a moment and then his gaze turns heated. He thrusts his hips forward off the bed in Sam’s direction, drawing his lower lip into his mouth.

“Who says we have to go anywhere?… We could just…”He raises one eyebrow, his hand coming off the bed and running down his torso, stopping at the opening of his jeans, thumbing the remaining buttons open, pulling the fabric aside…

 _Jesus_. Despite himself, Sam feels his pulse start to quicken.

“… _indulge_ a little more…”

Sam stares at the asymmetrical, half wild pubic hair – it’s starting to grow back but still looks a little… weird – at the lengthening cock nestled amongst- _Shit no_. They’ve barely left their apartments in the last few days, merely shifting between them to collect fresh clothes, take care of a few essentials and avoid too many embarassing mishaps with their brothers. But Christ, Cas is here, Dean’s due back any minute and Sam would quite like to see the goddamn sky before it turns dark again. 

He rubs a hand over his face, decides the best thing is just to ignore Gabriel’s distraction tactics.

“Haven’t you… didn’t you bring any more clothes?” He says, carefully avoiding the issue at hand.

Gabriel rolls his eyes. He pouts. He huffs out a breath before flopping back on the bed. 

“No Sam… I haven’t got any more goddamn clothes. I thought these stupid… fuck I thought they would fit ok? They fit a coupla weeks ago.” Gabriel throws his hands into the air, dramatically gesticulating. “Stupid goddamn… Your machine shrunk them too! Must have… Goddamn assing machine of clothing-death-”

Sam grimaces and closes the distance between them, dropping onto the bed and cutting off Gabriel’s babble with a hand to his cheek, thumb stroking over the soft skin there.

Gabriel’s eyes flick to him, a variety of expressions flitting across his features, too quickly for Sam to properly decifer them. He finally seems to settle on mild irritation. Sam tries his very best to school his own features as Gabriel finally spits out, “Nothing fits! Ok?! Nothing goddamn fits.”

“It’s ok-” Sam begins, but Gabriel huffs out an annoyed breath and rolls away from him, scrambling off the bed and starting to pace. 

Sam tries his very best not to be distracted by the gorgeous planes of Gabriel’s naked chest, by his exposed groin, by the wild pubic hair escaping from the opening.

“It’s not ok. I’m a goddamn life model Sam. People pay me to get naked… Not like… Mind out of the gutter Winchester… Not like _that_.” He huffs out a breath and glares at Sam. Sam just raises his eyebrows. He didn’t say a word. “Zachy already draws me like I’m a fucking gluttinous emperor with no clothes. What the hells are his drawings going to look like now? Hmm? My flabby ass all-”

“My brother draws more accurately proportioned stick figures than Zachariah’s best work,” Sam interrupts. He sighs, “Gabe…”

Gabriel stops pacing and stares at him, eyes lighting up with amusement. He whistles long and low, rocking back on his heels. He opens his mouth to make some remark, but Sam hurriedly continues before he can be called Lindsay Lohan again.

“Gabriel… It’s ok…” He sighs as Gabriel rolls his eyes again. “So you maybe ate a few too many…” Sam trails off as Gabriel’s amused expression turns back into a glare. He clears his throat. “Everyone over indulges at Christmas… It’s fine… Just… maybe cut back a little… Get out for a walk or two. Do some Yoga. You’ll be back to normal in no time and…” He trails off, swallows. 

The expression Gabriel is giving him… He’s actually tempted to say fuck it with the fresh air and getting back to some semblance of normality. Maybe Gabriel’s suggestion to hole up here and just indulge is actually a better plan.

Gabriel’s annoyance turns into something a lot more… heated. Sam swallows again, his body starts to react. He’s just about to will his limbs into motion, close the distance between them, but Gabriel shakes his head, lips pressing into a firm line.

“No Sam. No time for your overactive libido.” 

Sam’s eyebrows raise almost to his hairline. Really? _Really?_

Gabriel draws in a breath through his nose, nostrils flaring in a way that shouldn’t be attractive but… _shit_ maybe Gabriel actually has a point…

Gabriel levels his gaze at Sam, arms crossed over his chest, expression set with grim determination.

“Salad based crash diet it is. Lay it on me Samshine.”

Sam opens his mouth to argue, because he knows, he just knows that’s not going to be the best approach given Gabriel’s over the top sweet tooth…

Gabriel tilts his head and glares, stopping Sam’s thoughts in their tracks. “Damn it Sam, you gotta start your senior project… I’ve gotta be an all powerful Archangel, not a jolly cherub with an ass the size of the Knight Bus.”

Sam snorts out a laugh, a big loud, and kind of dorky one. He closes the distance between them, hands coming up to cradle Gabriel’s jaw and tilt it upwards. Gabriel just pouts at him.

“You’re gorgeous Gabe.” 

Gabriel rolls his eyes, Sam huffs out a breath and presses a light kiss to his still pouted lips.

“You’re gorgous,” he repeats, capturing and holding Gabriel’s gaze. “And your ass is…” Sam flushes. The corners of Gabriel’s mouth turn upwards. “It’s uh… It’s fucking glorious ok?” Sam raises his eyebrows, trying to talk his cheeks out of turning beet red. He sighs as Gabriel looks away. Ok. Ok fine. “But I guess a healthier diet and a little exercise… won’t hurt.”

Gabriel barks out a laugh that’s so loud it makes Sam’s ears ring. He makes a face as Gabriel steps back and rolls his eyes. 

“Pulease… What do you think I am? A complete moron?” He draws in another breath through his nose, looking up at Sam with an expression that’s equal parts steely determination and resignation. “No desserts, rabbit food and forced exercise. It’s gonna hurt… a _lot_.”

Sam shakes his head. “Gabe you don’t have to-”

“No we’re doing this Sam. No arguments. Kale smoothies and marathons all the way. Kapisch?”

Sam sighs again, “Ok Gabe. Ok.”

~~~

Sam blows out a breath into the chill morning air and stretches out his calf muscle. It’s damn cold. If Gabriel takes much longer then he’s going to have to-

All thoughts utterly escape him as he straightens up, as he takes in the sight before him. _What the…?_ He swallows around the lump in his throat. Loose clothing… That’s what he told Gabriel to wear. Loose… Not… not… _Jesus_.

Gabriel hops down the steps and bounds over to him, eyes bright and suprisingly enthusiastic, eyebrows dancing beneath the ridiculous sweatband he’s wearing over his forehead.

Sam tries to keep his eyes on his face as Gabriel greets him with a smile, he tries but… _What hell is he wearing?_... Yoga pants? Sam had thought that those tended to be pretty much like jogging bottoms for men… loose... not… not skin tight and clinging… well _everywhere. Christ_. Sam coughs and drags his eyes away from the very obvious outline of Gabriel’s dick 

Damn it but the t-shirt isn’t much better. It’s more than a little snug. Clearly too small for him. His slightly more pronounced belly is straining at the fabric, material stretched over his pecs, nipples... God… Sam rubs a hand over his face before his body can react even more than it already has. He can’t exactly run with a goddamn hard on, can he? He-

Shit. Sam just gapes, losing the damn battle with his body in an instant as Gabriel turns and bends down into a stretch of his own.

~~~

GABRIEL

Gabriel wheezes in a breath. Feels like fire. His goddamn lungs are burning. _Ow ow ow ow._ He takes two more stumbling steps. Fuck no. Now his side is hurting. And oh God… is he going to puke? He feels like he’s going to puke. He freezes, wills his lurching stomach to calm the hells down, wills his heart to stop thumping hard against his rib cage like it’s attempting a jail break. 

Sam does this for fun? _Really?_ Fun and ‘this’ aren’t even in the same ballpark… Aren’t even on the same planet... And who the hells coined the term ‘fun run'? There is absolutely nothing fun about running. Absolutely nothing fun about the stitch in his side. Nor the fire blazing in his lungs that’s hot enough to melt the one ring into slug heap… and… OW OW OW… cramp… cramp in his leg.

He makes a grab for his leg... _Shit_ … now his back hurts… FUCK.

He collapses in a heap. Flops back on the damp grass. Ugh now his back is soggy. And his ass. Great. Just great.

He stares up at the sky. Actually he glares at it. At that very moment a face appears in his bleary field of vision. A smokin hot face, framed by glorious super model hair. _How?_ Gabriel’s hair is all straggly and sweaty, whereas Mr Loreal looks like he just stepped out of a goddamn salon. Because he’s worth it. Clearly.

Concerned puppy dog eyes suddenly twinkle with amusement. Did he say that last part out loud? Yeesh. He might just be going delirious. He chuckles, coughs, splutters. For a moment it feels like he might be about to puke again.

“Gabe? Are you… are you ok?”

The ludicrously gorgeous face hovers closer, brow furrowed. Ugh he’s dying already. All he needs right now is extra death by puppy dog eyes.

“Peachy,” he mutters between still ragged breaths, rolling his eyes as Sam raises his eyebrows. 

Ok maybe he could have said that in a slightly less sarcastic tone. Sam rubs a hand over his face, purses his lips. Looks like he’s going to descend into full blown bitchface, but he detours into concerned puppy again instead. 

“Gabe I… I told you to take it at your own pace… not try to keep up with me.”

Gabriel levels a look at him. _Really?_ That’s what he thought Gabriel was doing? Like that was even remotely possible given those obscenely long legs. Truth be told… He was actually trying to burn off enough damn calories so that he could eat a half way decent meal. Right… About that. He lifts his wrist and stares at Cassie’s cheap fitbit knock off. He comes close to puking again. _Seriously?_ That’s all? He’ll be lucky if he can eat an extra stick of celery. Damn it.

“…not easy at first, but your body will get used to it…” 

Sam’s talking? When did he start? Gabriel heard absolutely none of that…

“…just got to take it slow. In time you’ll see the benefits and be able to pick up some speed and-”

“How much time are we talkin? _Exactly?_ ” Gabriel raises one sweaty eyebrow.

“Uh I don’t know… It depends...” Gabriel makes a face, Sam rolls his eyes. “Honestly, I don’t know Gabe… Maybe a couple of months or so.”

 _Months?_ Really? No. He can not go through this seven levels of hell for the sake of an avocado or lettuce or any damn thing. For a month. Nope. Not happening. Running’s the worst. And people who do it for fun… loopier than Lucy after smokin the real stuff.

Sam must have read something into his expression, because suddenly there’s a hand cupping the side of his face, thumb rubbing over his cheek bone. That’s just not fair, he was busy glaring, now he just wants to… Ok damn, gonna lean into this. Feels good.

“You know… there are other forms of exercise Gabe.” Sam says oh so softly, oh so conciliatory. “Maybe something you’d enjoy more?”

Gabriel grimaces. He’s ok with yoga. Been doing it for awhile now, but after all that Christmas indulgence… Well he’s gonna need more. Yeesh enjoyable exercise? That’s an oxymoron if ever he heard one. There isn’t one damn thing he can think of, not one vaguely strenuous thing, that would allow him to eat more… Except.... He raises an eyebrow, lips curling upwards. Well they do say it’s one of the best forms of exercise. Gabriel has no idea who ‘they’ are exactly, but whoever they are, they’re damn geniuses.

Sam looks hopeful, then he just looks confused as Gabriel runs his eyes over that smokin hot bod. Really? Not getting it Kiddo? He goes for an eyebrow wiggle, shifts his hips. Ok now he’s getting it. Gabriel chuckles as Sam’s gaze zeros in on his crotch, cheeks flaming scarlet. Definitely the best exercise, no doubt about it.

~~~

SAM

Sam flops back on the bed. That was. Wow. How many times is that now? He’s never… Never even thought it was possible. His muscles feel like jelly. He’s exhausted. Completely wrung out… quite literally. He could sleep for a week. He closes his eyes, quickly drifting down towards a peaceful slumber...

Except… Something’s poking him in the face… Insistantly. He screws his eyes shut, hoping that the ‘something’ will take the hint. Poke. Poke. Poke. Stab. _Christ_ that actually hurt that time. He makes a grab for the hand that’s closing in on his cheekbone, stills the motion as he blinks his weary eyes open. 

Wild golden eyes regard him with impatience. The head hovering above him tilts to the side. Eyebrows dance across a sweaty brow. _Christ, you have got to be kidding_ …

He makes a face. Gabriel raises one brow. No… Just no. He sighs and closes his eyes again. Something taps him on the face. And again. And again. The next tap’s more of a slap. 

“Jesus Gabe,” he mutters under his breath as he blinks his eyes open again. 

Gabriel’s pointing to his ridiculous fitness gadget, wiggling it in his face. God. Can’t he just… can’t he just get some peace?

“Come on Sam-a-lam! I’ve almost got enough for an extra strip of bacon. Waking up to a proper goddamn breakfast tomorrow. Hells that would-”

“Gabe…”

“Ok you just lie back and enjoy the show. I’ll hop on board. Work up a sweat…” He makes a face and wipes the sweaty clumps from his forehead. “… Uh… More of a sweat. Sweet sweet orgasms, followed by a deliciously crispy slice of heaven.”

Sweat slick limbs are straddling his middle, before he can say a word, hand reaching back to wrap around… Sam hisses in a breath.

“Jesus Gabe! No!”

Gabriel freezes. He lets go and blinks down at Sam, uncertainty flickering in his golden eyes. Maybe a little… Is that fear? No, Gabe no.

Sam places his hands on Gabriel’s hips, rubbing reassuring circles into the soft skin there.

He tries for a small smile. “I couldn’t get it up again if you paid me.” 

Something flickers across Gabriel’s face. Is that fear again? He’s too weary to figure it out.

“Rain check?” He raises an eyebrow, tries to convey how he feels with the quirk of his lips, too worn out to articulate, to find the right words.

Gabriel huffs out a breath, then he’s sliding off Sam. Sam frowns as Gabriel stays there, still beside him, but then there’s a little sigh and a warm, sweat slick body curves into his side, head of messy hair nuzzling into his neck. Sam lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding and reaches an arm across to hold Gabriel against his side. To just hold him. 

Gabriel’s breaths even out quickly. Clearly he was more exhausted than he let on. Sam sighs. If only… If only Gabriel could see that it doesn’t matter. That he’s just as beautiful as he ever was. That he’ll always be beautiful to Sam. No matter what, Sam’s going to show him. In every touch, in every glance, in every time Sam can’t keep his damn eyes off him.

“I love you,” he breathes out, pressing a kiss into damp messy hair. “Always.”

~~~

GABRIEL

Gabriel yanks the curtain closed and slumps to the floor, hissing in a breath as his muscles protest the movement, squirming as dampness seeps through the thin material of his boxer shorts. 

2 days. 2 godawful days of aching muscles and waking up so stiff he cant… He chuckles to himself as he divests the tub of it’s lid. Stiff in all the wrong ways… though also in the _right_ way. But of course Sam had vetoed Gabriel’s plans to just push through the pain and stick to his strict exercise regime. Something about not being able to bend his legs… Or at least not without a few fruity swearwords... and that was before they got a chance to get to the sexy times. 

Yeesh. 2 days of rabbit food, very little sex… Gabriel did insist on a little frottage fun… but that hardly counted towards his daily ‘steps’… Stuck indoors with little to do but annoy the eldest Winchester. Fun times. Except without the fun. He’s over it, he’s so over it.

Gabriel thrusts the spoon into the creamy surface and digs around until he has a large, well sampled mix of the delicious looking contents. He opens his mouth wide and groans as the flavors explode over his tongue. Hells… that is… God that’s almost orgasmic. Is that… is that bourbon? He shoves the spoon in again, digs, brings it to his mouth. Sweet sweet spoonful of heavenly goodness. That is _amazing_. Definitely bourbon… pecans… cookies. What the hells is this? He turns the tub around in his hands, chuckling as he reads the label, _Bourbon Pecan Pie_. Well of course. Dean-o’s gotta have his pie. And on ample an occasion, his bourbon. It’s like this flavor was _invented_ just for Dean-o. Chuckling again, he dips the spoon back in.

~~~

He’s about two thirds of the way through the tub when the invitable litany begins. _Son of a bitch_ this. _Son of a bitch_ that. Lots of whining. Lots of calling Gabriel all the names under the sun. Ooh _'little fucker'_ returns. Honestly it’s been a fair few weeks since he last heard that one. Despite them practically living out of each other’s pockets since the cabin. Sure there have been insults, a whole lot of eye rolls and muttered complaints, but they’ve actually been getting on pretty well… Mostly. No one's commited murder at least. And it’s not like Gabriel and Sam haven’t been looking for their own place. Only, so few people are moving right now. The pickings are decidedly thin. And Gabriel has standards, damn it. 

Gabriel digs the spoon in as he listens to the voices. Sam is… Well not exactly defending him as far as he can hear… but definitely trying to calm his big bro down and… Footsteps. Great big manly, thumping footsteps. Definitely Dean-o. Getting closer… He did remember to lock the door didn’t he?... He shovels the spoon into his mouth and twitches the curtain back. 

_Ah_. Oops. It would seem that in his haste to devour the heavenly contents within this here tub… He uh… maybe forgot. _Hells_. He looks down at the tub in his hand, eyes the spoon still held in his mouth, going slightly cross-eyed in the process. Can’t exactly hide this. Can’t exactly scramble across there in time. Maybe if he’s quiet… He lets go of the curtain and hunkers down.

A moment later the door slams open, the curtain yanks back. Gabriel raises his eyebrows.

“Son of a bitch! I knew it!”

~~~

SAM

Sam rubs a hand over his face. 

“No… I don’t want some Gabe… I...” 

He clears his throat. How does he even begin to approach this? By avoiding the elephant in the room of course.

“You can’t… You can’t just go around ea- um stealing Dean’s stuff.”

Sam immediately realises the slight irony in that statement. Because Dean is the absolute worst person for ‘borrowing’ things without asking. But well… Gabriel and Dean’s relationship is a tenous one. Dean has only just started to accept Gabriel and the last thing Sam wants, especially when they’re all living in such close quarters, is for things to go back to being as strained as they were between them.

Gabriel makes a face at him, rolls his eyes and sets the tub down. Sam surruptitiously takes the chance to peer inside. Christ, he’s eaten practically the whole the tub. He knew… just knew that going cold turkey on the sugar wasn’t a good idea. There’s a mumble he doesn’t quite catch, his eyes flick up to Gabriel. Gabriel looks at him for a moment before his eyes shift back to the tub of half melted ice cream. He clearly wants to pick it up again. Instead he purses his lips and lets out a long sigh, throwing his arms into the air. 

“Sorry ok! I’m starving! I can’t live on fucking hummus and celery sticks! I need _real food_ Sam. Real food like… profiteroles and pancakes and pie… all the goddamn pie.” He clambers to his feet and attempts to pace. He doesn’t exactly get far in the confined space before spinning around and regarding Sam with wild golden eyes. “All the pie Sam. Dean-o shoveling all that pie in his face and makin all those sounds, like he’s getting off...”

It’s Sam’s turn to make a face at that; Gabriel carries on oblivious.

“… Like he’s one hot stroke away from blowing his load all over the place. And I've gotta watch that!”

 _Jesus Gabe. Christ_ , he did not need that image in his head.

“While eating a fucking avocado Sam. A fucking avocado.”

Sam sighs and shakes his head. He supposes Gabriel has a point about Dean. He’s hardly been helping. 

“Gabriel I told you…”

Clearly not the way to start the sentence. Gabriel’s glaring at him again. He clears his throat.

“Ok… uh. No sweets isn’t working right?”

Gabriel levels a look at him. One that would appear to question the level of Sam’s intelligence before swifly concluding that he’s severly lacking. Sam fights the urge to throw him a bitchface. Escalating things will hardly help matters.

“So you have a little each day. Just… pick one thing. One little indulgence. Maybe add a little exercise to compensate if you feel you need to.” 

Gabriel makes another face at the suggestion of more exercise. Sam almost makes a face too. He’s not sure he can keep up with Gabriel’s idea of exercise. They’re going to have to think of something else.

“Just…” Sam sighs and closes the distance between them, hands coming up to take hold of Gabriel’s bare shoulders. “You don’t have to be so strict. Take it at your own pace. It’ll be easier to stick to. You’ll feel a little healthier, but not like you’re being tortured. There’s no need to…”

He trails off, not sure how to articulate what he wants to say.

Gabriel huffs out a breath, but then he makes a considering face.

“Chocolate sauce,” he says at length.

Sam raises his eyebrows as Gabriel finally looks up at him, eyes bright and lips twitching upwards.

He raises an index finger. “But only if I lick it off your hot bod Sam. Only then.”

Sam snorts out a startled laugh. 

“I guess I’d be ok with that.” 

He smiles down at Gabriel. Gabriel’s lips spread into a wide smile of his own, dimples appearing at the corners. So beautiful. Sam dips his head, capturing those lips in a kiss, tasting all that sweet indulgence on his tongue and something that is so indefinably Gabriel.

~~~

TWO WEEKS LATER

SAM

Sam kicks once more and reaches the edge of the pool. He straightens up and holds on to the side, edging over a little to make room for the other swimmers while he takes a breather. He has to admit, it’s been good to get back to this. He’s been so caught up in work since they moved here… and then caught up in Gabriel… that he hadn’t gotten around to checking out the local pool. It was a good idea. He’s glad Gabriel suggested it. Much as he was enjoying Gabriel’s prefered form of exercise… enjoying it _a lot_. Well, he never really wanted that to feel like a chore and much as he doesn’t like to admit it, he’s not entirely sure he can keep up with Gabriel in that respect... Though seeing Gabriel dripping wet from the pool, shorts clinging to his body… Well maybe that gets Sam thinking he could weather a little more.

They’ve been here a few times now. Sam gets in a few lengths and… well Gabriel doesn’t usually follow suit. He’s rather more interested in the water slide and fooling around, but it matters little. Since the ice cream incident – or rather, the ‘Greatest Dessert Heist of the decade’, as Gabriel is fond of calling it - since Sam suggested a more lax approach, Gabriel’s actually taken note. He’s getting a little more exercise. Walking, regular yoga, swimming… or at least splashing around and well… other activities. He’s eating a little healthier, but without the obsessive calorie counting. Enjoying the odd treat... True to his word, Gabriel has only been enjoying those treats directly from Sam’s skin. Sam shivers at the thought, cheeks flushing despite the chill of the water. 

Gabriel may have not lost much of the Christmas excess yet, but he’s getting there. And more importantly he seems to be letting go of some of that insecurity. Sam’s not sure if it was in the telling, in the touching, or maybe Gabriel has just finally seen something in the way that Sam looks at him. He seems reassured. He seems happy. He knows now. At least Sam hopes he does. How much Sam loves him. How much Sam… well how much Sam lusts for him.

As he treads water, Sam scans his surroundings, eyes automatically searching out Gabriel. It’s packed today. It would seem that a lot of people are starting off the year with their own health kicks. Still it should be easy enough to see Gabriel given his somewhat garish attire. Sam frowns when another sweep fails to pick out Gabriel’s day glo orange swim trunks. By Gabriel’s own admission they’re practically bright enough to be seen from the International Space Station, so why can’t Sam see-

A sudden tidal wave smacks him in the side of the head, water sloshing up into his eyes, momentarily blinding him. _Jesus. What was…?_ An instant later there are hands on him. Sam startles. As he hears the muffled sound of a whistle through his now water logged ear, he blinks stinging eyes, a blurred image slowly coming into view. 

Quirked lips, bright golden eyes, hair darkened and slicked back by the water, but already starting to curl upwards at the back of his neck. One raised eyebrow. _Gabriel_. 

Before he can find his equilibrium, before his vision has fully cleared, before he has the chance to throw his boyfriend the almighty bitchface he deserves… Gabriel closes the distance, crashing their mouths together forcefully, water slick chest pressing against his own, fingers tangling in Sam’s wet hair… one leg coming up to wrap around his middle. _Shit_. Sam almost goes under. He grips the edge of the pool tighter and cycles his legs more rapidly to compensate. All the while, Gabriel’s tongue is delving deeper into his mouth, hands grasping and tugging at his hair… Seemingly completely oblivious to Sam’s momentary struggle to stay afloat, to the annoyed complaints of the swimmers detouring around them as they attempt to complete their target lengths, to the rapid fire whistles that are now eminating from the direction of the life guard station and getting ever closer. _Christ_.

Sam attempts to protest, to ease Gabriel off him, but it’s rather difficult to do so without letting them both drown. The guard’s now practically on top of them, reeling off a list of pool code violations that Gabriel, and now _Sam_ , has just committed. At the mention of ‘horse play’, Gabriel finally pulls back, letting out a loud barking laugh. Sam stares incredulously into honey gold eyes that are alight with good humor.

“Surely you mean Moose play,” he quips, wiggling his eyebrows at Sam before throwing a smirk over Sam’s shoulder.

Despite himself, despite the very real possibility that’s he’s going to get himself banned along with his ridiculous boyfriend… Sam takes in Gabriel’s gloriously wide dimpled smile, the look of sheer unadultered joy… with a heavy side of sass… And he snorts out a horrendously embarassing, horribly loud, laugh of his own.

Gabriel purses his lips, tilts his head and looks at Sam with a considering expression for a moment, before his lips twitch upwards again into another bright, heart stopping smile.

“Nope scratch that, we’re going with Donkey play.”

So they may have to find themselves another pool… Judging by the irate tone of the… ah there it is… Yeah they definitely do… They may have to travel a little further for Gabriel to get his exercise… or maybe just to fool around. But somehow that doesn’t matter either. Not with that infectious laughter ringing in his ears. Not in the face of that brilliant smile.The one that makes Sam fall in love every time he sees it… over and over again.

**Author's Note:**

> (Continued warning notes: Speaking as someone who has perviously suffered from an eating disorder myself, I don't think there's anything in here that would be especially triggering for those who are past sufferers, but there may be issues for those still suffering or recently recovered. Please see the tags.)
> 
> One more gift ficlet to go before I start the mildly intimidating task of the next long fic. Some smut coming your way in the not too distant future... Hopefully... I haven't written it yet... Better get on that...


End file.
